BACKGROUND: Streamlining health care-associated infection surveillance is essential for health care facilities owing to the continuing increases in reporting requirements.
METHODS: Stanford Hospital, a 583-bed adult tertiary care center, used their electronic medical record (EMR) to develop an electronic algorithm to reduce the time required to conduct catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) surveillance in adults. The algorithm provides inclusion and exclusion criteria, using the National Healthcare Safety Network definitions, for patients with a CAUTI. The algorithm was validated by trained infection preventionists through complete chart review for a random sample of cultures collected during the study period, September 1, 2012, to February 28, 2013.
RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 6,379 positive urine cultures were identified. The Stanford Hospital electronic CAUTI algorithm identified 6,101 of these positive cultures (95.64%) as not a CAUTI, 191 (2.99%) as a possible CAUTI requiring further validation, and 87 (1.36%) as a definite CAUTI. Overall, use of the algorithm reduced CAUTI surveillance requirements at Stanford Hospital by 97.01%.
CONCLUSIONS: The electronic algorithm proved effective in increasing the efficiency of CAUTI surveillance. The data suggest that CAUTI surveillance using the National Healthcare Safety Network definitions can be fully automated.
Written by:
Shepard J, Hadhazy E, Frederick J, Nicol S, Gade P, Cardon A, Wilson J, Vetteth Y, Madison S. Are you the author?
Department of Clinical Business Analytics, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA; Department of Quality, Patient Safety, and Effectiveness, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA; Department of Hospital Epidemiology, Veterans Administration, New York, NY; Health Catalyst, Salt Lake City, UT; Infection Prevention and Control Department, Stanford Hospital and Clinics, Stanford, CA.
Reference: Am J Infect Control. 2014 Mar;42(3):e33-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2013.12.005
PubMed Abstract
PMID: 24581026
